Kilifi Governor Amason Jeffah Kingi has welcomed the ODM Party decision to replace him with Ganze MP Teddy Mwambire as the new ODM chair in Kilifi.

Kingi who has fallen out with the party over the formation of a coastal political party thanked his party leader Raila Odinga for according him the opportunity to serve as the ODM chair in Kilifi for the last 9 years.

In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Kingi said that during his tenure he made sure that the ODM Party became the dominant party in Kilifi County.

"I steered the party to great success and made sure ODM became the dominant party in the county a fact that was confirmed during the last general elections when Kilifi became the only county in the country to deliver a clean sweep for the ODM party in all elective positions," said Kingi.

The ODM party on Tuesday confirmed that it had removed Kingi as its Kilifi County Chair replacing him with the Ganze MP days after the party's youth league chair Samir Nyundo resigned from ODM.

Kingi has been at loggerheads with the party and his Mombasa counterpart Governor Ali Hassan Joho over the formation of a political outfit for the coast people.

The two had earlier resolved that the coastal people needed to have their own political party to bargain for a seat at the national table come the 2022 general elections a move that saw ODM party leader camp and lead a series of meetings to try and consolidate his support in the region.

The move saw Mombasa governor backtrack on the mission as he announced that he will face it out with Raila for the ODM presidential ticket in 2022. 

However Kingi has remained adamant forging forward to form a political outfit for the coast.

Kingi has openly declared his support for the newly formed Coast Integrated Development Initiative that brings together a number of political parties drawn from the coast including Kadu-Asili, Shirikisho Party of Kenya, Umoja Summit Party, Republican Congress Party of Kenya and the Communist Party of Kenya.

The Ganze MP Teddy Mwambire, who deputised Kingi will now take over as the party strategizes on how to strengthen ODM amidst threats from the newly formed United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party associated with deputy president William Ruto that has been making inroads in the coastal region.

"I hope and pray that the incoming chair and his team will match and/or break my sterling record, I wish the party the very best not just in Kilifi County but across the country as it prepares itself for the 2022 general elecstions. God bless." Said Kingi.